Closer To The Light – Bruce Cockburn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Transcribed by Jared White (whitej@lincoln.ac.nz) 1995
Standard tuning, Capo 2
Slow: 4/4, MM72
Notes: This songs has deceptively simple chords, but, as with
many Cockburn tunes, it’s not as easy as it first seems!
Alternating bass, travis-style fingerpicking.
Bracketed notes are optional.
Full lyrics are at the end.
Feedback appreciated. Enjoy!

Key: 0 in measure 6 0h1p0 (trill)
3′ in measure 7 3(bend)p1p0
n downstroke (strum)
v upstroke (strum)
> accent (downstrum)
} arpeggiate chord

Intro:
1 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------0-----
-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0- -1-0---------------1-----1-------
-4-------------4-------0-4------- -----2-------2---------2---------
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------2-----2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

3 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---0- ---------------0-------------0---
-0-----0------------------------- -----------1-------------1-3-----
---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2- -------2---------------2---------
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -----2-------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

5 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------0-----------------
-3---------3-----3-------0-1-3p1- -1---------1-------------0---0-
-0-----0-------0-------0--------- -2-----2---------------2-----2---
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -----2-------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

G Am n v
7 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-----------0-----0-------3'---- -----1-1-------------------1-----
-------0-------0-------0-----2-0- -----2-2---0---2-------2---------
-----0-------0-------0----------- -----2-------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3------(3)------ --------------------------------- 

There you

Verse:
9 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-3---------3-----3---------3----- -0h1p0-------------1-------1-----
0-----0-------0-------0-------0- -------2---------------2-------2-
----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

go Swimming deeper into mystery Here I re-

11, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-3---------3-----3---------3----- -0h1p0-------------1-------1-----
-0-----0-------0-------0-------0- -------2---------------2-------2-
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

-main Only seeing where you used to be Stared at the cei-

13, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-3---------3-----3---------3----- -0h1p0-------------1-------1-----
-0-----0-------0-------0-------0- -------2---------------2-------2-
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

-ling ‘Til my ears filled up with tears Never got to

G Am cresc.
15, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-3---------3-----3-------5p3-3-0- -1p0-----------------------1-----
-0-----0-------0-------0(4)------ -----2-----0---2-------2-------2-
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -----2-----0-x-2-----2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

know you And suddenly you’re out of here

Chorus:
% n v v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v
17, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-0---0-0---0-0-0-----0-0-----0-0- -----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-
-1---1-1---1-1-1-----1-1-----1-1- -----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-
-0---0-0---0-0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0- -----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-
-----------------3-------2------- -----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-
-3-------3-------3-------3------- -2-------------------------------
--------------------------------- -0---------------0--------------- 

Gone from mystery into mystery

n v n v n v n v n v n v n v > v n
19, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1- -----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---
-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1- -----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---
-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2- -----0-0---0---0-----0-----0-0---
-----3-3-3-3-3-3-----3-3-3-3-3-3- -----0-0-----0-------0-------0---
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-1---------------1--------------- -3-------3-------3-------3------- 

Gone from daylight into night Another step

21, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----------5---0-----------0----- -----------1---------------------
-----------------------1--------- ---------------1------(0h1-0)----
-------2------------------------- ---2---0------------(2)-----(2)--
-----2-------2-------2-------2--- -----3-------3---------0h2-0-----
-0-------0-------0--------------- ---------------------3-------3---
-------------------------3------- -1-------1-------1--------------- 

deeper into darkness

23[Csus4/G], . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----------------0---------0----- -0-------------------------------
-----------1-----1---------1----- -1---------1---------------3-----
-------0-------0-------0---0---0- -0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)
-----3-------3-------3-------3--- -----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---
--------------------------------- -3-------3---------------2-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

Clo – -ser to the light. (Another step)

________ _ _ _
1.
, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-0---------5---0-----------0----- -----------1---------------------
-------1---------------1--------- ---------------1-----------------
-2------------------------------- ---2---0-------------------------
-----2-------2-------2-------2--- -----3-------3---------0h2-0-----
-0-------0-------0--------------- ---------------------3-------3---
-------------------------3------- -1-------1-------1--------------- 

_ _ _ ________
27[Csus4/G], . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

----------------}0-------0------- -0--------------------------------
-----------1----}1-------1------- -1---------1---------------3------
-------0--------}0-------0-----0- -0-----0---------------0------(0)
-----3-------3-------3-------3--- (2)--2-------2h3-2---2-------0---
--------------------------------- -3-------3---------------2--------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- ---------------------------------- 

Verse 2: Walked out-

________ _ _ _
2,3.
45, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .[+]

-----------5---0-----------0----- -----------1---------------------
-----------------------1--------- ---------------1-------0h1-0-----
-------2------------------------- ---2---0-------------2-------2---
-----2-------2-------2-------2--- -----3-------3---------0h2-0-----
-0-------0-------0--------------- ---------------------3-------3---
-------------------------3------- -1-------1-------1--------------- 

deeper into darkness +

47[Csus4/G], . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----------------0---------0----- -0-------------------------------
-----------1-----1---------1----- -1---------1---------------3-----
-------0-------0-------0---0---0- -0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)
-----3-------3-------3-------3--- -----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---
--------------------------------- -3-------3---------------2-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

Clo – -ser to the light.

Middle 8:
49, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------0-----
-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0- -1-0---------------1-----1-------
-4-------------4-------0-4------- -----2---2-------------2---------
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------2-----2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

51, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---1- ---0-----------0-------------0---
-0-----0------------------------- -------1-----------------3p1-----
---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2- ---2-------2-----------2---------
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -----2-------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

53, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----------------------------0--- ---------------0-----------------
-3---------3-----3-----0-3p0--(0) -1-0-------1-------------3p1-----
-0-----0-------0---0------------- -----2---2-------------0-------0-
-----0-------0-------0-------0--- -------2-----2-------2-------x---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

55, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
-0---------0-----0-------3'---- -------1-------------------1-----
-------0-------0-------0-----2-0h -2-----2---0---2-------2-------2-
-----0-------0-------0---------0h (2)--2-------2-------2-------2---
--------------------------------- -0-------0-------0-------0-------
-3-------3-------3------(3)------ --------------------------------- 

ds% al coda+

+Coda
Csus4/G ritardando…… C
67, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .

-----------------0---------0----- -0-------------------------------
-----------1-----1---------1----- -1-------------------------------
-------0-------0-------0---0----- -0-------------------------------
-----3-------3-------3-------3--- -2-------------------------------
--------------------------------- -3-------------------------------
-3-------3-------3-------3------- --------------------------------- 

Clo – -ser to the light.

Closer To The Light
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you go
Swimming deeper into mystery
Here I remain
Only seeing where you used to be
Stared at the ceiling
‘Til my ears filled up with tears
Never got to know you
And suddenly you’re out of here

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light

Walked outside
Summer moon was nearly down
Mist on the fields
Holy stillness all around
Death’s no stranger
No stranger than the life I’ve seen
Still I cried
Still I begged to get you back again

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light